Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 65 The Six Ding Divine Fire and the Six Ku Immortal Thieves: Lü Qian's Speculation

Fang Dongtian's eyebrows shot up as he listened to Lü Qian's clear and logical explanation.

"Hmm, not bad. I didn't expect you to have such profound knowledge at such a young age. I can rest assured now."

He looked at Lü Qian with a relieved expression on his face.

"Master Fang, isn't it a bit against the rules for you to directly pass on the Path to Heaven from Baiyun Temple to me like this?"

Lu Qian looked at Fang Dongtian and asked his question.

The Quanzhen Longmen's "Burning the Body and Refining the Spirit" and the Wudang's "Golden Elixir Returning to the Pill" are both paths to heaven passed down through a single lineage of Daoist tradition.

Taoist cultivation has four essential elements: Dharma, resources, companions, and location.

Among them, "law" comes first. This "law" refers to the transmission of Taoist methods, which is the path to heaven for various schools and sects, and also the "Tao" passed down by each family.

In the spiritual practice world, there has never been a shortage of cases where people cherish their own teachings to the point that the tradition is lost.

Now, Baiyun Temple has directly given him a path to enlightenment and is patiently teaching him—something Lü Qian couldn't have imagined. Although he could accept it readily, he still needed to ask questions; only then would it be reasonable.

Although this was an opportunity for Lü Qian, in the Daoist tradition of inheriting and bearing responsibilities, there is always a karmic connection involved.

Faced with Lü Qian's doubts, Fang Dongtian slapped his thigh and said, "Rules? I am now the abbot of Baiyun Temple and the leader of the Longmen Sect!"

"What ancestral rules? In a few decades, I'll be an ancestor too!"

Lu Qian was not surprised by Fang Dongtian's outrageous words; instead, he smiled easily.

This made Fang Dongtian even more satisfied with Lü Qian.

A seeker of the Way should understand the principle that "the ways of our ancestors are not necessarily the best way to follow them." The Way of our predecessors and patriarchs is their own Way. A person who is destined to become a patriarch should naturally have his own "patriarchal spirit"!

What about the path to heaven?

I will follow my own path, and my path will lead to the heavens!

His impression of Lü Qian was that of a junior who knew how to conduct himself properly and never overstepped the bounds of propriety.

The other party firmly believes in their own path and puts their knowledge into practice. They have observed the paths of the world and always tread the right path that belongs to them.

"Many thanks to the Patriarch for transmitting the Dharma!"

Lü Qian bowed to Fang Dongtian once again.

This time he used the term "patriarch" again.

Firstly, because he obtained the profound teachings of the founder of the Quanzhen Longmen sect and received his inheritance, which was almost equivalent to meeting the founder in person.

Secondly, it was a double entendre; he understood the other party's attitude: it was acceptable to transmit the Dharma, but it should not be publicized, just as in "Journey to the West" where Patriarch Bodhi secretly imparted the Great Dao of the Golden Elixir.

Fang Dongtian accepted the other party's courtesy without hesitation. "Alright, now that the third watch of the night has passed, I have taught you the Path to Heaven from my White Cloud Temple. Now, depart!"

"yes!"

Just as Lü Qian was about to get up, Fang Dongtian, who was sitting opposite him, suddenly spoke up and asked a question.

"What are your plans for the future?"

"This disciple plans to continue north, pass through Shanhaiguan, and head to Jiuding Tiesha Mountain to visit the Guo family lineage, hoping to witness the [Stealing Celestial Immortal] technique to verify my own conjecture."

Lu Qian stopped what he was doing and answered respectfully.

In the northeastern region outside Shanhaiguan, there is another branch of the Quanzhen Longmen School, which is a lineage passed down by the patriarch Guo Shouzhen, whose Dharma name is Jingyangzi.

This patriarch practiced from a young age and went to Jiuding Tiesha Mountain in Northeast China to cultivate. Later, feeling that he could not attain enlightenment without a master's guidance, he first became a disciple of Li Changming, the "Purple Qi True Man," and became the eighth generation disciple of Quanzhen. Later, he came to Baiyun Temple to follow his senior master, Wang Changyue, the "Kunyangzi," in his cultivation.

Guo Shouzhen became increasingly devout in his ordination and spiritual practice during this time. He became thoroughly familiar with the classics, doctrines, and precepts of the Longmen School, and his knowledge and cultivation improved day by day.

He later returned to Jiuding Tiesha Mountain, where he continued to uphold the precepts, purify his mind and cultivate himself, and passed down the Quanzhen lineage.

This Master Guo is said to have later ascended to immortality and passed down his lineage in Northeast China.

Among the Taoist practices passed down through generations at Jiuding Tiesha Mountain is a technique called "Stepping the Dipper and Stepping the Dipper," which is a method for stealing celestial immortals.

As for the "Celestial Thief," it originated from Bai Yuchan, one of the five patriarchs of the Southern School of Quanzhen Taoism.

This patriarch was known as "Qiongxuan Zixu Zhenren". He was well-versed in the three religions and the nine schools of thought. He learned everything that was available at the time, including talismans, alchemy, thunder magic, and internal alchemy. It is said that he ascended to immortality at Wenbi Peak in Ding'an.

Stealing the Celestial Immortal's Techniques is also one of the legacies left by this patriarch.

By stealing the yin and yang energies of the sun and moon, one can cure diseases and strengthen the body, prolong life, or even ascend to heaven.

In the eyes of Taoism, humans steal the life force of heaven and earth and all things to nourish themselves, and heaven and earth and all things in turn steal the three treasures of humans for their own use.

Heaven and earth, all things, and man—these three steal from each other, yet they coexist in harmony.

The so-called "stepping the Dipper" refers to following a specific Qi circulation route and stepping in specific directions to steal the life force of heaven and earth for one's own use.

In the original work, Jin Yong, who possessed superior root skills in Biyou Village, used this technique.

Lu Qian wanted to see the "Stepping the Dipper" because he had a guess, a guess about the Dao behind the "Six Treasuries of Immortal Thieves".

Upon hearing this, Fang Dongtian asked with some curiosity, "What is your question? Let this old Daoist hear it; perhaps it can be of some help."

Upon hearing this, Lü Qian looked at the high-ranking official in front of him, remained silent for a moment, and then carefully considered his words.

"The Journey to the West, a book of Taoist scriptures outside the Tibetan Buddhist canon, contains profound principles of Taoist alchemy."

"The episode of Sun Wukong being defeated by Erlang Shen reminded me of something."

"Sun Wukong symbolizes the monkey spirit, representing the fire in the heart, while Erlang Shen and the six brothers of Meishan symbolize the fire in the six internal organs."

"The six viscera are the gallbladder, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, bladder, and triple burner, which are the places where all things are digested and nourished."

"Since the Samadhi Fire can refine the Yin Soul, if I were to gather the fire from my six internal organs, could I refine all things in heaven and earth to nourish myself?"

According to the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic, the six fu organs belong to yang, and they transmit and transform substances without storing them.

"If a disciple can make the fire of the six internal organs burn at its zenith, thereby stealing the acquired Qi from all things to nourish his own innate Qi."

"So, can this be considered the path to heaven?"

Lu Qian concealed the name of "The Six Treasuries of Immortal Thieves" and discussed his conjectures about this Eight Extraordinary Skills with Fang Dongtian.

In his view, humans digest the acquired essence of all things to nourish their own innate Qi.

However, during the digestion process, all things also deplete and steal the innate Qi of the human body.

So, can we follow the principle that Yin and Yang reach their peak and then decline, and transform into each other?

Using one's own six internal organs as a furnace, and transforming the fire of the six internal organs into flames that scorch the furnace to its peak, one can then refine the great elixir of the human body.

This is precisely Lü Qian's speculation about "The Six Treasuries of Immortal Thieves." In Lü Qian's view, this extraordinary skill might be related to something else.

The Six Ding Divine Fire of Laozi!

If it is the [Samadhi True Fire] that tempers the soul.

The Six Ding Divine Fire can refine the physical body.

If Lü Qian's guess is correct, then he can use these two true flames to temper his physical body and soul, and refine his life!